Derek

meh

Revisado: 08-15-16

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Could I have been listening to a better book? Yes. If I could go back in time to advise my past self I would say, "Save yourself the time and remove that tripe from your phone right now."

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The climax had a very strong deus ex machina. I thought the protagonists were in trouble and the author might have to come up with something interesting, but no, instantaneous problem solved. How did this come about? We get no explanation in this book. What might have been an interesting problem turns into a "No, you have to press your finger on the sensor" difficulty level problem.

Have you listened to any of Simon Bubb’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Simon has a very calm voice. It would be great for non-fiction or a book with no tension. He could describe to me how I was personally being attacked by murderers at that very moment and my heart rate would not increase.

Was The Skin Map worth the listening time?

The book needed a lot more explanation. It felt like a book that should have taken much longer to get to it's ending.

Overall it felt like having a bad head cold and eating a meal. There was just no flavor. It felt like waiting in the doctor's office waiting room level self-masochism.

Any additional comments?

Willamina is a major Mary Sue. There is no situation she cannot overcome with the greatest of ease. Once she almost had a difficulty, but then she actually tried to do something and changed the future of all Europe. She is the main reason for the asspull (that is a kind of trope if you don't know) climax.

The main male protagonist (I have forgotten his name minutes after finishing the book because it was of so little importance to me) is a no account, non-action guy. He might have developed into a passable semi-hero, but the character just undergoes no meaningful transition.

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Interesting animal research, lackluster philosophy

Revisado: 12-27-15

Would you try another book from Frans de Waal and/or Jonathan Davis?

Frans de Waal's writing in this book just didn't grab me. I do not see myself buying another one of his books.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

While the sections of the book about animal studies are well thought out, using vivid examples to back up de Waal's ideas, the philosophical ideas are often just flat statements and opinions. The people he dislikes are often dismissed with superficial single sentence snipes giving the impression he did not put much effort into understanding their positions.

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

The reading was well done. Davis does a good job adding emotion to his performance for a non-fiction book.

Any additional comments?

Had this been a book solely about animal behavior it would have been a bit shorter and a lot better.

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Narration ruined it for me

Revisado: 06-12-15

Would you try another book from Ian Douglas and/or David Drummond?

I will be staying far away from Ian Douglas from now on. His writing was sub par in a genre with many authors that are not that good.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Imagine an overly enthusiastic news reporter's voice. Now imagine every character sounding just like that.

Any additional comments?

I made two attempts to listen to this book but never made it more than two hours in before disgust forced me to stop.

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Avoid this narrator

Revisado: 01-05-11

I liked this book quite a bit, but the narration is horrible. I've heard some bad narrators before and this guy is among the very worst. I can't help but think that an artificial voice would have done a better job. The shame of this performance should drive Cristofer Jean into hiding.

They should have gotten Paul Boehmer, the narrator of the Night Angel Trilogy. He was quite good.

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